President George W. Bush on Thursday said the bombing this week of a sacred Shiite shrine in Iraq was an "evil act" designed to foment sectarian strife. Bush said he appreciated the calming rhetoric of Iraq's government leaders, and condemned the perpetrators of violence throughout the country. "The act was an evil act," Bush said in Washington. "The destruction of a holy site is a political act intended to create strife. So I am pleased with the voices of reason that have spoken out. And we will continue to work with those voices of reason to enable Iraq to continue on the path to democracy that unites people and doesn't divide them." He said the United States would support the Iraqi government in any way as it prepared to restore the mosque. "We understand its importance to Iraqi society and we want to stand side by side with the government in making sure that beautiful dome is restored," Bush said. A major Sunni political alliance said it had suspended talks with Shiite and Kurdish leaders on a new government after dozens of Sunni mosques were attacked and dozens of bodies were found in Shiite acts of revenge for the Samarra mosque destruction.
